The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1887-10-01
The Burdens Of Office.

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In his late interview with Woyk re-
porter, President Cleveland said tint he
could scarcely understand why any man,
knowing the burdens, responsibilities
and difficulties Of the Office, should want
to be President. And in an intesview
with Mr.. Walter Young, of st. Iouis, |
being told by Senator Cockrel thai Mr..
Young was one Of the delegates who
worked for his. Cleveland's nomination.,
in the Chicago Convention, the Tresi-
dent said, with mock severity Then
you are one OF the parties that got Ipe]
into this snap?" Mr.. Cleveland regards
the Presidency as "a snap, a tightplace,
an Office full of care and trouble, and
therefore to be avoided. In like manner.
Senator Mcpherson, being entreatcd to
say whether he would be candidate for
reelection, expressed his wearine$s of
Office, politics and the world OF scrahbles
for place. In all these plaintive remarks
about Office and official burdens and ex-
actions, there is certain lofty disregard
of honors and dignities that slverv cap
tivating to the minds of the common run
of men. Those Of us who have always
been mere iiewers of wood and drawers
of water in the service Of the office-hold-
ing class must needs be moved with adj
miration as we see how lightly these
great men talk Of the massive honors so
far out of the reach of the mass of our
fellow, citizens. Most of us regard with
q certain awe the Senatorial toga, the
curule chair, and the trappings of the
Presidential office. 70 the truly great
personages who are endowed with these,
they are only baubles, trifes light as air,
the unwelcome reminders of iksome
cares ofState. To be sure, Mr. Cleve-
land, in one of his recent speeches, spoke
feelingly of s'the solemn dutiesn Of his
place, which ne assumed, so TO speak,
with prayerful gravity. But that was
when he was on dress parade. When he
is confidentlally chatting with Senator
Cockrell and his friend Young he lightly
calls the office ga snap;" and he has no
thanks for the smiling courtier who adj
mits that he hopes to get Mr.. Cleyeland
into another just like it,
Without any intention of undertaking
the burdensomeness of the Presidential
office, we must say that Mr.. Cleveland
exaggerates the present Importance and
the work Of that place. When Lincoln
was President, he had not only vast
number of offices, civil and military to
be filed but he was burdened with the
anxieties and responsibilities of great
war; ard he was forced, in addition to
his duties at home to look carefully after
our relations with foreign nations, many
OF whom were waiting for an opportunity
to rush in and join in the quarrel, to our
inevitable ruin. To anybody who.knows
aught of tAe load sustained uncomplain-
ingly by the patient Lincoln, the queru-
lous grumbling of Cleveland is simply
silly. Nine-tenths of Mr. Cleveland's
executive work is the dealing out of
public patronage; this is not an easy job
it would be easier if Mr.. Cleveland were
not an anxious candidate for reelection
to the office to which he affects an aver
sion. And other public men, like Sena-
tor Mcpherson, for example, would com
mand more respect If they honestly said
that they like Office and would be sorry
to give it up. They do like office. and
they would be sorry to give it up; and
the wordy pretence that they care fol
none of these things is simply bit oil
deception that deceives nobody Oh
course, we can all understand that Mr..
Cleveland would much rather have nc
opposition to his denomination and re-
election; and Senator Mcpherson would
be glad to avoid trouble and expense OIL
looking after the Democratic primaries
and nominations in counties that choose
members of the Legislature. It would
be delightful if the Cincinnatus of Belle
Meade could have the Senatorial office
brought to him on silver platter, as it
were, whenever it is to be vacated. But
that is not the American way of doing
things. There are too many other Nc
Phersons in the field, all anxious for a
chance to get under the load of ca re and
responsibility of which the Senator speaks
so teelingly. 1t is just as well for office
seekers, whether they were hunting for 8
new place, or the renewal of an old one,
to omit all cant about their alleged un-
willingness, their dread OF official bur-
dens, and their reluctance to 60 into a
canvass. This is all rubbish; it does
not deceive any man.-MeaOayk Sentinel.